A day's work
by Angundwriter
Summary: Set right after the events in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. "The child of Bellatrix Lestrange and you. I was born in Malfoy Manor before the Battle of Hogwarts." Harry needs to learn more about Delphi, and his investigation starts with the beginning - Delphi's birth. Written so that I could organize my thoughts a little after having read CC.
1. Chapter 1

_**Cursed Child Spoilers...**_

PART 1

"Let's get one thing straight, first of all," he said, looking at her with a face that seemed serious, yet not unfriendly. "You are not accused of anything. Nobody's saying that you've done anything wrong. The reason we've brought you in for questioning is simply that we want to gather as much information as possible."

"I understand," Maggie said. She couldn't help but to scrutinize him as he spoke. This was the first time she had actually seen him in the flesh. Harry Potter, the boy who lived, as they had called him once. She felt admiration as she observed him. When she was younger, she had felt strange about admiring those younger than her, but it seemed to get easier with age. Most of the people she met were younger than her these days. This fine-looking, middle-aged man in front of her had still been a toddler when she began her career. _Time flies, Maggie,_ she told herself. _You're no spring chicken anymore._

"I'd like to start by checking that we've got all our facts straight," he said, picking up a piece of paper from the desk in front of him. "Your name is Margaret Miller, is that right?"

"Yes, it is. But I've always been Maggie to everyone. 'Maggie, the midwife', they call me."

"That brings me to my next question. You've been practicing as a witches' midwife for about 40 years now?" He looked at her questioningly.

"I have. In fact," she smiled, and leaned towards him, almost conspiringly "...the first child I ever delivered was none other than your wife, Ginny. Oh, I remember the smile on her mother's face, as I handed her that little girl! After all those boys, she finally got her little witch..."

He smiled nervously, she had obviously told him a fact he was unaware of.

"Really? That 's a strange coincidence. And a job well done, I might add. I mean, Gin is lovely."

"Give her my best" She giggled, glad to have learned that he had a sense of humor.

"I will."

"I didn't get to see any of your children into the world, though," she said with a sly smile. "You... took your business elsewhere, I presume?"

He smiled nervously again.

"St Mungo's. I was born there, it just seemed safer, to me, and my wife agreed. I hope you're not offended?"

"Of course not! I hear more and more young witches and wizards make the same choice these days, it's only natural that trends change. And there are still enough mothers out there who prefer a more traditional, homely setting, so I have my hands full. No worries!" She tried to sound as assuring as possible, to make him feel at ease, and his expression indicated that she had been successful.

"Right, so, you do of course know that you're here today to inform the Department of Magical Law Enforcement about one very particular birth that you attended. The birth of the newly imprisoned Delphini Lestrange."

Maggie sighed.

"Yes. I'll tell you anything you need to know. Of course."

"Good. We're trying to piece together her life, find out who she was up until she revealed herself. And it all starts with you." He leaned back a bit in his chair. "Would you like to start by telling me where it all took place?"

"It was at the Malfoy Manor." Maggie paused for a bit. She had replayed the things that had happened on that day over and over to herself in her head many times during the past twenty-or-so years, but still, opening her mouth and actually letting the words come out was difficult.

"I, uhm, I was at home when... when they took me. I lived in a small cottage in Wiltshire back then." She cleared her throat. "I... I had just gotten up and was having my morning tea when I heard someone enter the room behind my back. I turned, and I just got a glimpse of Narcissa Malfoy before everything went dark. The next thing I knew, I was at the manor."

"You knew the Malfoys already then, I take it?" Harry asked. She nodded.

"Well, everyone knew of them. I didn't know any of them personally, if that's what you mean. I just knew their names. One of my older sisters had a sort of distant friendship with Narcissa while they were both children at Hogwarts, I believe. So I remember having seen her at our house a few times back then, but that was all. I don't think there'd been any contact between their family and mine after that... I mean, their views on muggleborns didn't really line up nicely with ours. Also, you know, they were a few social classes above us, to say the least. There really weren't any reasons for our families to interact."

"Go on", he said, grasping his quill pen firmly, ready to continue his notes. "You were at the manor?"

She nodded again.

"I was. I woke up on the floor of some hallway, Narcissa standing over me."

 _"Are you all right?" she asked. I rubbed my head as a way of replying. It seemed I 'd been banged against a number of hard surfaces on my way there._

 _"Are you all right?" she asked again, seeming genuinely concerned, her voice almost mild._

 _"I suppose so..." I managed, as I stood up, grabbing the hand she offered me. I was shaking with nervousness, but so far, nothing indicated that she was going to hurt me._

 _"Or, well, I suppose it depends on why I'm here. Why did you bring me?"_

 _"Please don't worry," she said, obviously trying to get me to relax, but the shiver in her voice made me think she was more than a little worried herself._

 _"We just need you to perform your services, then you will be allowed to go. No one is going to harm you, unless you give us reason to do so."_

 _"My services?" I looked at her waist. Not even the finest magic in the world could have hidden a baby in that figure. For a moment a whole lot of alternatives spun through my mind. Had her teenage son gotten a girlfriend pregnant? Was she caring for a neighbor, or a friend? Had her husband perhaps knocked up a mistress before getting himself shipped off to Azkaban the year before, and left his wife to clean up the mess?_

 _Before I had time to ask any questions, a loud scream cut through the air. In fact, it sounded a bit like a mix between a scream and a cackling laugh. Narcissa noticed my surprise, and it seemed to please her ever so slightly._

 _"Yes, your services." She opened a door and urged me to enter. There, on a large bed in an otherwise mostly empty room, lay a woman, dressed in a black nightgown. Her belly was large, and even from afar I could notice movement inside it. Her hair was dark, curly, and disorganized, and it surrounded her pale face like a nest around an owl's egg. The woman opened her mouth and another desperate, piercing scream made me cringe as I stood there. Then the scream stopped, and the room was filled with silence._

 _"Ms. Miller, I'd like you to meet my sister," Narcissa Malfoy said, with an expression which indicated both a touch of smugness and of fear. It was as if she was taking at least a piece of a huge burden off her own shoulders and leaving it on mine._

 _"This is Bellatrix Lestrange."_


	2. Chapter 2

**_Thanks so much for the reviews, I really appreciate them!_**

 _"Ah. So you're the lucky girl..." Bellatrix said, lying there on her back. She looked at me and grinned, her pain obviously gone for the moment. "Did my sister tell you what kind of an extraordinary event you are about to witness here today?"_

 _"No..." I could barely get any sound out of me. This was all so bizarre, like a nightmare after a heavy meal._

 _"Well," she began, but was cut off by Narcissa._

 _"Are you sure you want to tell her the details, Bella? I mean, you said it yourself, no one can know!"_

 _"It's important that someone knows," Bellatrix said, as she lifted herself up on her elbows with some difficulty. "It won't be long now, before we can all take our rightful places, and make this world ours, as it should be. When that happens, my child's identity will need to be confirmed. You know that I began spreading the rumors even before my reward was given to me." She turned her attention to me again. "So, my dear... You still look young. Have you delivered many little witches and wizzards so far?"_

 _"I've been doing this job for a good 15 years now," I said, my voice a bit stronger this time. "I just started young, and I look young, that's all."_

 _"Ouh, 15 years!" She giggled, mockingly. "Well, I can assure you, even compared to all the children you've brought into this world in such an eternity, this is by far the most significant one. The child I carry inside me is the offspring of The Dark Lord."_

"So Bellatrix told you this, openly?" Harry asked.

"Yes. I didn't know whether to believe her or not at first," Maggie said, as she took the glass of water he offered her. "I mean; I didn't know if she was being truthful or if she was just... mad. But then again, Narcissa seemed to take her seriously. And... well, the world, everything around us, had just begun to appear so strange and mysterious around that time. I figured anything was possible."

"Right. Tell me more. What happened next?" he asked, getting ready to take notes again.

 _"Bloody hell, this is worse than torture!" the dark-haired woman yelled as a new contraction hit her, and she curved her back in an attempt to ease the pain._

 _"Well, for crying out loud, Bella, you're 46 years old! Did you think it was going to be a walk in the park?" Narcissa sounded frustrated, as she paced back and forward on the floor, a few feet from the bed. "I told you it was going to be bad, didn't I? Worse than any Cruciatus Curse..."_

 _"I thought you were exaggerating, Cissy," Bellatrix moaned. "I mean, I can take a hell of a lot more than you, let's be honest. You wouldn't have lasted a month in Azkaban."_

 _It was almost as if I wasn't there anymore. They both seemed to have forgotten that I was standing in the corner, twisting my fingers nervously as I observed them._

 _"I've asked you not to mention that place in this house. I can't bear to think of poor Lucius, locked away..." Narcissa had stopped her constant movements now, and was standing still in the middle of the floor, arms crossed, looking at her sister._

 _"And thank Merlin's beard for that!" Bellatrix seemed to be slipping back out of the pains. "One less person to hide this from!" With her hands she indicated the size of her belly._ " _Lucius would never have been able to keep his mouth shut! I keep telling you, it's for the best that neither he nor Draco have a clue about what's been going on in this house while they've been away."_

 _"Oh, I see, so you can just go around and tell it to people you've just met, but Lucius is supposedly the blabbermouth?!" Narcissa's voice was loud and whiny, until she paused for a moment and took a deep breath before she continued in a lower, more threatening tone. "Do not speak ill of him, Bella, or I swear... And don't you even dare to say anything about Draco! I've missed him so much all these months, while he's been preparing for... everything that has been asked of him. You keep going on and on about how the Dark Lord is giving you this wonderful reward, this gift in the form of a child, and at the same time, he might very well be taking mine away!"_

" _Pff, Draco's not going anywhere; he'll be back to be spoiled by his devoted mummy before you know it. And we've been through this, Cissy; even if he wasn't coming back, The Dark Lord has done him a favor by letting him play such a big part in his plans!" Bellatrix sounded almost bored now, as if she was repeating something she'd said umpteen times before. "You know what? You're just upset that I am finally going to be able to wash that nasty "I-have-a-child-and-you-don't-therefore-I-am-holier-than-thou"- look of your face! And let me tell you, that's something I've been waiting to do for a long time."_

"So that's how Draco didn't know his aunt was pregnant. He didn't leave school to see his family at all that year, and not for Christmas either" Harry said, ever so slightly enthusiastic that the pieces in his puzzle were beginning to fall into place.

"The way they were speaking to each other made me feel like those two sisters had been isolated together for quite some time," Maggie said. "They seemed completely worn out, both of them. I mean, most women in labor are rather drained, of course, but Narcissa wasn't much better.

 _As Bellatrix drifted into a cloud of pain once more, letting out another high-pitched scream, Narcissa buried her pale face in her even paler hands. She looked as if she might soon melt into a little puddle of witch juice on the floor. If this had been a normal birth and she had been, say, a nervous expectant father, I would have offered her a glass of water and told her to sit down and relax, but in this scenario, I was unsure what was expected of me. But then, as the screams faded, the older sister turned her attention to me once more._

" _So, this girl that you brought, this midwife…" She spat the words out. "Is she just going to stand there, or what?" I felt an icy chill in my spine as she looked straight into my eyes. "Aren't you supposed to be doing something, make things happen so that this kid'll come out of me?"_

 _I knew I had no choice but to try my best to get on this unhinged witch's good side. I began rolling up my the sleeves of my jumper._

" _Right then, let's get to work. Where can I wash up?"_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Thanks again for taking the time to leave reviews! This will be the second-to-last chapter, I think.**_

" _It won't be long now…" I said as I wiped my hands on a cloth after having examined the mother-to-be. "Are you getting an urge to push?"_

" _I'm getting a very strong urge to kill!" Bellatrix replied, in a panting, hoarse voice._

" _Focus on the pushing first, please. I'm sure your baby is eager to be born at this stage," I said, trying to remain as calm and authoritative as I could. On the inside I was anything but. The dark haired woman was twisting desperately in pains now, rocking the entire bed doing so. Suddenly, she reached out and grabbed her wand, which had been lying on the nightstand next to her. It was like seeing a person reach for a bottle of water after two dry weeks in the desert. Clutching it in both hands, she began shooting out little lightning bolts from the tip of the wand and up towards the ceiling, where they made ugly, black marks in the otherwise impeccable white tiles._

 _«Bella, no!» Narcissa quickly got up from the rocking chair in the corner where she had been sitting for the last few minutes. "Give me that! Stop it!" It sounded as if she was speaking to a petulant child. She had to struggle for a bit before she was able to yank the wand from her sister's hands. Bellatrix, who was obviously desperate for some form of relief, grabbed hold of one of the bedsheets and began twisting it franticly between her hands._

"So, she was in a lot of pain, then…" Harry said without looking up from his notes. "More than usual, would you say?"

"I would imagine. She was certainly the oldest first-time mother I'd ever assisted, and her baby was quite large… I believe she suffered a great deal." Maggie confirmed.

"Good." Harry replied, dryly. "Go on, please."

 _«We need to get you into a good position, so you'll be able to push the baby out," I said, as I straightened the bed sheets. Bellatrix was apparently getting a break from the worst pains at the moment and was able to communicate._

" _Well, get on with it, then. Put an end to this bloody agony!" she demanded, huffing and puffing as she spoke._

" _I think it would be best if you sat halfway up. We could put some pillows behind your back. Or perhaps…?" I looked over at Narcissa, who had withdrawn to the sanctuary of the rocking chair again. Her eyes met mine, and as she realized what I was trying to imply, she began shaking her head. But Bellatrix had also understood my intentions, and she wasn't taking no for an answer._

" _Cissy, get over here right now!" she yelled. The younger sister sighed, but complied, and came over to the bed, where she sat down on the edge of the mattress and allowed the laboring witch to lean her back on her._

" _You know, if you wanted someone here to support you, Rodolphus said he'd be willing…" she mumbled. "He even said he'd be happy to do it."_

" _As if I would have wanted that worn-out doormat here for this," Bellatrix said, while she shifted around and tried to find a good position. "Rodolphus can be useful in certain situations, but he isn't worthy of a place at the birth of The Dark Lord's offspring."_

" _You shouldn't talk about your husband that way," Narcissa said, but in a tone which indicated that she didn't really care all that much, or perhaps that she didn't entirely disagree; she was simply in a grumpy mood. "It's not fair, you chasing yours away while mine is being kept from me at that horrible, dreadful…"_

" _Argh! Would you quit whining about your damn husband for five minutes!" Bellatrix interrupted. "I'm trying to have a baby here!"_

"Right, Rodolphus knew, right from the start, then," Harry concluded. "We know that he was the one who ultimately told the girl about her parentage, but we weren't sure when he learned that his wife had a child with another man. Or perhaps I should say 'man'," he corrected himself and used his fingers to make air quotes.

"Yes, Rodolphus Lestrange knew," Maggie nodded. "I got the feeling that he considered the whole thing an honor on his wife's part, just like she did."

"Did you see him that day?" Harry asked. "Was he at the manor, too?"

"No, I just heard them talk about him. I don't know where he was, but he wasn't anywhere near us," Maggie said. "When that child was born, Bellatrix, Narcissa and I were the only ones in the room."

" _Come on, now, just a little bit more, and you'll be done!" I tried to encourage the by now quite exhausted witch as she was entering the last stages of her labor. "I can see the baby; I promise it won't be long before it's here. Just a few more pushes…"_

" _Yeah, yeah, yeah, a few more and a few more and… Aaaargh!" Bellatrix's shrill complaint ended in a shout of pain. "Is there really no… no magic that can… that can take the edge of this?" she asked in a strained voice, turning her head to look at Narcissa._

" _No. Sorry. This is a job magic can't take care of for you." From the expression on Narcissa's face I was able to read that it was unusual for her to see her older sister like this; not exactly fragile and vulnerable, but still, weaker than normal, and literally in need of someone to lean on. "Now you know why I only bothered to do it that one time," she said, and I thought I saw something resembling a tiny smile on her lips, as she wiped away a sweaty curl from her sister's forehead. It seemed like she didn't mind her role in this scenario as much as she had before._

 _Bellatrix looked as if she was going to reply, but then her face tensed up completely all off a sudden._

" _This is it," she groaned between clenched teeth. "It's coming now…"_

 _She moaned loudly and threw her head back towards her sister, as she began tugging at her silk nightgown, which was already rolled up to her waist at this point. I took a deep breath, trying to prepare for whatever I had coming._

" _OK, Bellatrix…" It was the first time I had dared to use her name, I realized as I said it. But she wasn't exactly in any position to bite my head off at the moment, so I figured it would be alright. "Here we go. Take a deep breath, and push!"_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Last chapter, thank you so much for reading my little story!**_

"Then what happened?" Harry was on the edge of his seat. The grown up man looked so excited and curious that Maggie had to stifle a giggle.

"Well, you've met the child…" she smiled. "You know that it was a little girl…"

" _It's out! It's a girl!" I said as I wiped off the new born baby, lying there on the mattress between her mother's thighs. "A beautiful girl, just perfect."_

 _I was incredibly relieved to conclude that the child was in fact beautiful and, seemingly, completely normal. I hadn't been sure what to expect, but this little witch didn't have any scary, unexpected features. She was large, but not abnormally so. There wasn't a hair on her pink, round head, but that wasn't very unusual either. All in all, the creature looking up at me with big, dark eyes seemed no different from the many babies I had delivered before her._

" _Give her to me!" Bellatrix reached out with both hands. All of a sudden she was apparently bursting with energy; the exhausted witch from a moment ago was gone. I hurried to lift the child up and place it in her grip. Most new mothers that I'd seen before this would immediately hold their new baby close to them, lay it on their chest, protect it in every way. But Bellatrix did no such thing. Instead, she held her new daughter up high, as if she were a_ _Quidditch trophy._ _Then she laughed, a cackling, evil-sounding laugh which I would have assumed could have made most children burst into tears. But the baby didn't cry, she didn't seem frightened at all. Most likely, she'd gotten used to the sound of that particular laughter in the womb._

" _She's magnificent," Bellatrix declared._

" _She has your eyes, Bella," Narcissa said. Unlike her sister, she spoke softly, and seemed to be moved by the sight of the new member of the clan. Bellatrix didn't seem moved at all, she just seemed immensely proud._

" _She may have my eyes, but she has his presence, his nature…" The new mother looked up at her child as if she was admiring someone far more dignified and noble than a naked, little baby. "You, my dear, are a star. And that's why I'm naming you Delphini. After one of the great stars in the sky. Soon, your star will be one of the brightest of them all, my little darling. It won't be long now, until we rule the world."_

"I guess Bellatrix had it all planned, "Harry said. "She'd be Voldemort's queen, and they would raise their child in their own pureblood society…"

"Yes..." Maggie agreed. "Scary thought. I was starting to hope that it was all over at that point; that I could leave, you know, get away from them. But then…"

" _He has to see her!" Bellatrix said, eagerly. She was sitting up in bed, looking almost disturbingly alert and spirited. Narcissa had pulled the rocking chair over and was sitting by the bed, with her new niece in her arms, as I was flicking my wand around the room to tidy up after my work._

" _Now? Oh, Bella, are you sure that's such a good idea?" Narcissa asked. But Bellatrix was already rolling up the sleeve of her nightgown and revealing the mark on her skin._

" _Of course it is. He promised me this day would come a long time ago. Now it's finally here… And my daughter wants to meet her father, don't you, my dear?" The dark-haired woman gestured to her sister to give her the baby back, before she looked in my direction. "Are you scared now, Ms. Miller? Well, I hope you have good nerves, because you're about to meet someone very special. Someone who little, unworthy witches like you usually don't get a chance to meet in their entire lifetime!"_

"Voldemort?!" Harry's jaw dropped. "You mean… he actually appeared?"

"Oh yes," Maggie nodded her head. "Yes. He came to the manor when Bellatrix called upon him. The Dark Lord."

 _He looked nothing like I had expected. I had heard rumors about this wizard ever since I was a child, but when he suddenly stood there, in the room, I felt more horrified than I ever had in my life up until then. There was something about the way he radiated authority that made me feel like I had ice cubes rolling slowly down my spine._

 _I tried to make myself as invisible as possible, standing in a corner, hoping he wouldn't even notice me. In the beginning, it seemed like it was successful; he turned all his attention to Bellatrix. Not that she gave him much of a choice._

" _My lord – we have a daughter! The child is finally here!" She held the baby out for him._

" _So I see." His voice was as frightening as the rest of him, very contained and calm, but still somehow full of terror._

" _I have named her Delphini, my lord," she continued. "I mean, if it pleases you?"_

" _I suppose that is a first name as good as any, "he said, sounding rather disinterested. He did, however, extend a finger over to the little bundle she was so eagerly holding up for him, and let it run down the child's right cheek. "A family name can be decided later, when she is returned to your care. She will manage fine without one for now. I trust that she will be taken from here before long?"_

" _Yes, my lord. All the arrangements have been made," she confirmed._

" _Good. You know that the upcoming battle will require your full attention, Bellatrix. I can't let you lose you focus."_

" _Absolutely not, my lord. I will be by your side, nothing could ever keep me from you!" she assured him._

" _Good." He turned towards Narcissa, who had been sitting quietly in her chair. I wondered if she, too, tried to remain invisible. "Narcissa. I suppose this makes me even a bit closer to your family than I was before."_

" _It's an… an honor, my lord," she said, her voice weak and stuttering._

" _I suppose you'll be glad to know that young Draco should be getting ready to fulfill his deed as we speak. I expect we'll have him here by sunrise." He looked at Bellatrix again. "The child will be gone by then?"_

" _Yes, my lord!" she nodded. Narcissa's face had lightened up considerably, and it was about to get even lighter._

" _Also, I will collect Lucius and the others from Azkaban by the end of the week. It is, of course, unnecessary for me to mention that none of them are to be told a word about the child?"_

 _Narcissa nodded, unable to completely hide a relieved, little smile._

" _Of course, my lord. Not a word to anyone, I promise."_

 _Then, I almost fainted, as The Dark Lord suddenly turned around and looked straight at me._

" _As for you…" he said, in a colder, harder voice. "You will make a good witness, in time, but if I hear as much as a whisper from anyone, saying that you have revealed this child's identity before I ask you to do so, you will not live to see another morning. Have I made myself clear?"_

" _Yes…" I squeaked, like a little mouse. I could see that he was waiting for me to say something more. "Yes, my lord."_

 _Then, with a flash, he was gone. He had seen his daughter for a minute or so, and apparently that was enough._

"Wait a minute…" Harry had just realized something. "The day that Draco… was it…?"

"Yes." Maggie looked him straight in the eyes. "Delphini was born on the same day that Albus Dumbledore died. June 30th, 1997."

"But… I saw Bellatrix not that long after that. She seemed… well, she didn't seem like someone who had just had a baby!" Harry said.

"She had her mind set on fighting for her cause. And she was incredibly feisty shortly after the birth. It was as if it hadn't affected her at all." Maggie took another little sip from her glass before she continued. "I left as soon as I could, and I suppose someone came to get the baby right after that. That little thing barely got to arrive in this world before it was time to move on to a new place…" She sighed. "And I understand she's kept moving on since then, all the way to Azkaban…"

"Yes, that's true," Harry confirmed. "She committed a murder, and… well, several other crimes."

"You know, Mr. Potter, as crazy as it sounds, something good came from that horrible day," Maggie said.

"Really?"

"Yes, you see… When I got home that day, I couldn't get one thought out of my head; how terribly unloved that little girl was. She was a prize in her mother's eyes, and from what I could see, she was completely insignificant to her father. And I thought to myself 'I could do things differently. I could do better than that.' So I did!"

"How do you mean?" Harry asked.

"Well, I decided to give this one young man a second chance. A very nice muggle who I'd met on vacation earlier that year. I was going to let him remain a nice little summer memory, and focus solely on my career, but that evening… I went over to his house. The year after, we married, and, well, then we had three lovely little so-called "half-breeds" after that!" she said, with a little laugh. "And I can honestly say, I don't think I would have taken that first step, if it hadn't been for…you know. That day at the Malfoy Manor."

Harry closed his notebook.

"Ms. Miller, you've been very helpful." He put on a half-mocking, overly dignified tone in his voice as he continued. "And I find it only fitting that we, in light of what you just told me, end this interview with a toast." He raised his glass of water, and she did the same. "To that day at the Malfoy Manor!"

"Hear hear!" she agreed. They both smiled, as they drank. And unknowingly to them both, they shared the same thought – that this was one of those days when they'd make sure to tell their respective children how much they loved them.


End file.
